Abraham Toro plays pivotal role in Justin Verlander’s no-no

The Astros’ postgame clubhouse was a happy place for Abraham Toro, left, and Justin Verlander.

Photo: Fred Thornhill, SUB / Associated Press

TORONTO — From amid the avalanche of Astros who surrounded their ace on the pitcher’s mound, Justin Verlander emerged with one question after his third career no-hitter.

“Where is Toro?” Verlander yelled.

Abraham Toro showed himself. Verlander slapped the rookie’s hand for a high-five before nearly tackling the Montreal native with a huge hug.

Throughout this series against the Blue Jays, Toro was welcomed home a hero. In Sunday’s 2-0 Astros victory, he embodied the moniker.

Playing in his eighth major league game, one he was not originally supposed to start, Toro took Toronto closer Ken Giles deep for a two-run homer that broke a scoreless tie in the ninth inning.

The third baseman also got the assist on the game’s final out, fielding Bo Bichette’s bouncing ball to send Verlander into a celebration.

“The moments matter in this game,” Verlander said. “The scene was scripted for him in his (country). All the guys were so fired up. You take everything into account that moment. That’s baseball. Those are the special moments that I don’t think you can create anywhere else.”

Sunday completed a whirlwind weekend for Toro, a 22-year-old rookie who began this season with Class AA Corpus Christi and now sits on the precipice of cracking a playoff roster.

Toro’s appearance at Rogers Centre drew television stations and journalists from around Canada. Interviews in French and English took up most of his time before and after all three games. Until his start Saturday, Toro had not played in his home country since he was 17.

“I know he wanted to do really well here,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s gotten as much attention these last three days as he’s gotten in his entire career. To do it in front of family, friends in a park that he’s been to before is special.”

Toro’s promotion to the major league roster on Aug. 22 was unforeseen. He impressed in spring training with his versatility and switch-hitting ability, but more touted prospects like Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez sat ahead of him in the organizational hierarchy.

Utility man Jack Mayfield offered more defensive maneuverability and was summoned when Carlos Correa and Aledmys Diaz were injured earlier in the season. Mayfield’s anemic offensive output, coupled with Toro’s torrid minor league season, made this roster move unavoidable.

“He’s a stud, man,” Alex Bregman said. “He plays the game super hard. We love watching him play the game. He’s an incredible teammate. We expect nothing but good things out of him just based off the preparation he puts in.”

Known throughout his minor league career more for his bat than defense, Toro has taken the everyday third base duties in stride. His defense is “even a little better than advertised,” Hinch said last week. But his at-bats, while competitive, were unproductive.

Toro entered Sunday with five hits in his first 25 major league at-bats. Four were singles. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout during Saturday’s 6-4 loss, a game he played in front of more than 15 family and friends who traveled from all corners of Canada.

Sunday was supposed to taper the theatrics. Toro was off. Only a few friends from the area but none of his family were in attendance. He taped a pregame interview with Sportsnet — the television carrier for all Blue Jays games — before retreating back into the clubhouse to some startling news.

Yuli Gurriel, who was hit by a pitch Saturday, took some early practice swings and was too bothered by his left elbow to play. Hinch scratched him from the lineup and inserted Toro.

“It was pretty late,” Toro said. “I’d say one hour before the game, I found out.”

Toro struck out in his first two plate appearances, continuing a concerning trend for the Astros offense. They mustered only two baserunners through the first six innings, leaving the game scoreless and Verlander little margin for error in his attempt at history.

It wasn’t until the seventh that Houston had two baserunners in an inning. Toro, up with two on and one out, torched a ball to center field. It carried a 101.5 mph exit velocity but fell into Randal Grichuk’s glove for the second out.

Bregman began the ninth with a double against Ken Giles, the former Houston closer who never found much success in non-save situations with the Astros.

In Toronto, without the pressure of a pennant race or real expectations surrounding his every pitch, Giles has thrived. He entered Sunday with a 1.67 ERA. In non-save situations, opponents mustered just a .418 OPS in 87 plate appearances.

Giles struck out the side to end Saturday’s 6-4 win. After Bregman’s double on Sunday, he punched out Yordan Alvarez before getting Aledmys Diaz to pop out. Two were away when Toro came up. Though he is a switch-hitter, Toro generates more power from his left side. He stood in and hammered a 1-1 fastball.

“He’s a guy that throws hard,” Toro said. “I was just looking for the fastball and trying to drive it. I didn’t know. The last at-bat I hit it pretty good, and it got caught. I just put my head down and started running.”

The baseball flew through the air to a weird part of the ballpark. Verlander noted a few balls earlier this series that “went to left field off a lefthander’s bat and (didn’t) carry.”

“When it went out, my reaction on the outside probably didn’t reflect what it was on the inside,” Verlander said. “I knew I had one more inning to go, and I had to stay focused.”

Toro returned to the dugout in jubilation. He gave double high-fives and wore an unremovable smile. Verlander, who is almost unapproachable before and during his starts, rose from his seat to offer congratulations.

“He gave me a pretty big hug,” Toro said. “Every pitcher when they start, I try not to talk to them. They’re so focused, I try not to look at them.”

For the final half-inning, Toro tried to remain calm. Brandon Drury dribbled a ball to Bregman at shortstop, and Reese McGuire whiffed, bringing Verlander within one out of joining the five pitchers in major league history who had thrown three no-hitters.

“When it got to two outs,” Toro said, “I kind of looked behind and was more realizing what was going on.”

Bichette bounced a grounder straight to Toro. He handled it without issue.

“It’s unreal,” Toro said. “My first no-hitter. First time playing in Canada as a professional. It’s something I’ll remember forever.”

Added Verlander: “I could not be happier for that kid. Just an incredible moment for him, from Canada, able to do that and get the last out as well. Such a special moment, and I was happy to celebrate with him.”

Chandler Rome joined the Houston Chronicle in 2018 to cover the Astros after spending one year in Tuscaloosa covering Alabama football — during which Nick Saban asked if he attended college. He did, at LSU, where he covered the Tigers baseball team for nearly four years. He covered most of the Astros' 2015 playoff run, too, as an intern for MLB.com

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